Explosive and method of producing the same



Patented Aug. 7, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM B. STURGIS, OF JOPLIN, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL EXPLOSIVES COMPANY, OFCHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

EXPLOSIVE AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THE SAME.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LlVILLiAu B. STURGIS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Joplin, in the county of Jasper and State 6 of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Explosives and Methods of Producing the Same, of which the following is a description.

The object of my present invention is to 10 produce a powerful explosive which shall have a low freezing point and shall be inexpensive to manufacture.

It is known that dinitrochlorhydrin, roduced by the nitration of monochlorhy rin, is an explosive having certain desirable properties, including a low freezing point, but because of the expense of producing this explosive as compared with nitroglycerin, for example, its commercial manufacture has been found impracticable.

I have discovered, however, that monochlorhydrin is an extremely efficient solvent for certain inexpensive carbohydrates, such as sugars, and that the nitration of a solution of monochlorhydrin and one or more carbohydrates, such as sugars, produces a very desirable explosive. Its freezing oint is exceedingly low, it is easily purified stabilized, its explosive strength is substantially equal to that of nitroglycerin, and the cost of manufacture is low. This explosive contains dinitrochlorhydrin, and one or more nitrated carbohydrates.

It may be found desirable in some instances to include in the ex losive other nitrated components, such, or example, as nitroglycerin. Such an explosive may be produced by nitrating a solution of monochlorhydrin, one or more carbohydrates, 40 and glycerin. The final product obtained from the nitration of this last named so-' lution and subsequent purification, contains nitroglycerin, dinitrochlorhydrin and one 'or more nitrated carbohydrates. A solution of monochlorhydrin, carbohydrates, and glycerin may be obtained by adding the desired carbohydrates to the solution resulting from the reaction occurring between glycerin and hydrochloric acid when sub- 60 1ected to certain conditions of temperature and pressure. Under ordina conditions, and especially if the chlorinating process is conducted at atmospheric pressure or too high a temperature, some diand Application filed July 23, 1919. Serial No. 312,671.

glycerin is usually formed. In case the monochlorhydrin-carbohydrateglycerin solution so obtained is nitrated, the resultant product will usually contain some tetranitrodiglycerin, and nitrated hydrochloric acid esters of diglycerin in addition to the nitrated components above mentioned.

In the preparation of any of the above explosives, instead of nitrating a solution containing all of the desired components, the various components may be nitrated separately or in various combmations, and the resultlng nitrated products may then be combined. This particular method of effooting the nitration is claimed in m 00- pending divisional application Seria vNo. 526,252, filed December 31, 1922.

To the explosives described herein, there may be added other ingredients which may provedesirable in the manufacture of smokeless powders and commercial explosives, such, for example, as nitrocellulose, nitro compounds, organic and inorganic nitrates (such as nitrated vegetable ivory and nitrate of soda) perchlorates and chlorates, absgrbents (such as wood flour, saw-dust, etc.

This invention is not limited to the particular materials, components, products, processes or methods described above, since obviously many changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention as set forth in the appended clalms.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. An explosive containing dinitrochlorllydrin and more than one nitrated carbohydrate.

2. An explosive containing dinitrochlorhydrin, a nitrated carbohydrate, nitroglycerin, and tetranitrodiglycerln.

3. An explosive containing dinitrochlorhydrin, a nitrated carbohydrate, nitroglycerin, 'tetranitrodiglycerin and nitrated hydrochloric acid esters of diglycerin.

4. An explosive containing dinitrochlorliydrin, nitrated sugar and nitroglycerin.

5. An explosive containing dinitrochlorhydrin, nitrated sugar, nitroglycerin and tetranitrodiglycerin.

6. An explosive containing dinitrochlorhydrin, nitrated sugar, nitroglycerin, tetranitrodiglycerine and nitrated hydrochloric acid esters of diglycerin.

7. The method of producing explosives, which consists in nitratinga solution containing monochlorhydrin, a carbohydrate and glycerin.

8. The method of producing explosives, which consistsin nitrating a solutioncontaining monochlorhydrin, sugar and glycmm.

9. An explosive containing dinitrochlorhydrin and more than one-nitra'ted sugar.

10. An explosive containing dinitrochlorhydrin, nitroglycerin and any nitrated caroohydra'te which before nitration is soluble in water at o. tempertcure below 150 C.

11. The method of producing explosives,

"which consists in nitrating a solution con:

taining monochlorhydrin' and more than one carbohydrate.

' 12. An explosive containing dnwtrochlon hydrin, more than one nitrated carbohydrate and nitroglycerin.

13. An explosive containing dinitrochlorhydrin, more than one nitrated carbohydrate, nitroglycerin, and tetranitrodiglyccrin. Y

14. An explosive containing dinitrochlorhydrin, more than one nitrated carbohydrete, nitroglycerin, tetranitrodiglycerin, and nitra'ted hydrochloric acid esters of diglycerin. 1 N

15 The method of producing explosives,

loohydrate which does not solidify nitroglycerin;

\19. The method of producing explosives,

which consists in nitrating a solution containing monochlorhydrin, a carbohydrate, glycerin, and (liglycerin.

20. The method of producing explosives,

"which consists in nitrating a solution con-- taining monochlorhydrin, more than one carbohydrate, glycerin and diglycerin.

2]. The method of producing explosives,

which consists in nitrating a solution con-' taining monochlorhydrin, a, carbohydrate, glycerin, diglycerin, and hydrochloric acid esters of diglycerin.

22. The method of producing explosives, which consists in mtratmg a solution containing monoclilorhydrin, more than one carbohydrate, glycerin, diglycerin, and hya drochloric' acid ewers of diglycerin. which consists in nitrating a solution con- 7 WILLIAM :B. srnnois. 

